Picture Siam Rath

 

Siam Rath quoted the district chief of Koh Samui who gave the latest figures for visitors under the Samui Plus Model reopening of Thailand to foreign tourists.

 

The numbers were so low that it appeared there were few more tourists than aircrew on the Bangkok Airways flights to the holiday island.

 

Thirapong Chuaychu said that in the period of July 15th to August 14th 320 tourists under the Samui Plus Model had visited.

 

Of these 19 had gone to Koh Phangan (5.9% of the total) and 15 to Koh Tao (4.6%).

 

The chief said there had been 53 flights from Bangkok in that time.

 

He didn't do the math on this but ASEAN NOW reckons it's almost exactly an average of six tourists aboard each flight.

 

Thirapong said only 2 tourists (0.6%) had tested positive for Covid on their first day on the island. 

 

In total they had stayed 2,856 nights (room nights) that made 9 on average for each stay. 

 

They had spent 17.28 million baht. This was an approximate figure he said with the media giving no indication how he had arrived at the number. 

 

Here were the top ten visitor numbers:

 

French 77

British 52

Germans 50

Americans 16

Dutch 15

 

185 were still on the islands.

 

From August 15th to November 168 tourists have booked 2,149 nights accommodation at an average of 12.7 nights each. 

 

These comprised the top 6 of:

 

French 39

Germans 23

Brits 19

Austrians 13

US 10 and 

Thais 10

 

The chief added that the ban on flights from Phuket to Samui started on 3rd August then entended to the end of this month meant no tourists had transferred from the Phuket Sandbox in that time.

 

Before that 257 tourists came from Phuket. 

 

He hoped that when the ban is lifted more tourists would come. 

Samui Plus hotels to suit all budgets

 

 

-- © Copyright  ASEAN NOW 2021-08-20

 

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I wonder why? Could it be the weather?  No Could it be nobody has money? No    Could it be something called Covid 19 that has killed just under 9,000 people Infected over 1 million, Locked down the country, destroyed the economy.  YES   Name another country with 20,000 cases a day that has invited tourist? 

I take no joy in these numbers. I MISS the old Thailand! But it's obvious those in charge dropped the ball so badly and are trying band aid fixes while lining their pockets. It makes me want to scream "I told you so!"

Howzabout we really, REALLY focus on getting good vaccines into the arms of every breathing soul in LOS?

29 minutes ago, club said:

Name another country with 20,000 cases a day that has invited tourist? 

UK?

1 hour ago, Tropicalevo said:

UK?

75% plus vaccinated, a slight difference to 10%?

Does that mean there are on average 6 people per flight?

What a waste.

Where do they find these people with those wonderful ideas?

In a psychiatric ward?

Thailand is trying very, very hard to make lemonade out of very sour and bitter lemons, and the roads ahead to achieve even tiny percentage of it's past glory days is fraught with trials and tribulations, but only if it will be handled correctly, there will be light at the end of tunnel...

1 hour ago, HappyExpat57 said:

I take no joy in these numbers. I MISS the old Thailand! But it's obvious those in charge dropped the ball so badly and are trying band aid fixes while lining their pockets. It makes me want to scream "I told you so!"

Howzabout we really, REALLY focus on getting good vaccines into the arms of every breathing soul in LOS?

that is never going to happen.  The military government is not going to spend money out of the treasury and their incomes to pay for 60 million vaccinations, then booster shots, then more vaccinations if the later virus variants require that

3 minutes ago, gk10012001 said:

that is never going to happen.  The military government is not going to spend money out of the treasury and their incomes to pay for 60 million vaccinations, then booster shots, then more vaccinations if the later virus variants require that

The current government is well on its way to emptying the treasury.

The 'in the pocket' expenses will never be returned.

Wuhan flu is with us for ever. It will keep on bringing out more variants and the world have a new 'annual flu jab'.

This is not a 'one off'.

I see this current junta as being on a 'rape and pillage' war until their time is up, leaving the next junta(?) to fix the debt.

(In today's news, Thailand is expected to show a current account deficit of $10.3 billion.)

Any tourists (or others) are just a bonus in this crazy world.

1 hour ago, ezzra said:

but only if it will be handled correctly, there will be light at the end of tunnel...

Therein lies the problem, handling it correctly. They're inept.

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The numbers were so low that it appeared there were few more tourists than aircrew on the Bangkok Airways flights to the holiday island.

Quelle surprise…

4 hours ago, webfact said:

He didn't do the math on this but ASEAN NOW reckons it's almost exactly an average of six tourists aboard each flight.

Never mind, half a million Russians are apparently desperate to come.

1 hour ago, hanuman2543 said:

Does that mean there are on average 6 people per flight?

What a waste.

Where do they find these people with those wonderful ideas?

In a psychiatric ward?

Wealthy families.

If most "tourists" are just returnees looking at a convenient way of entering the country it's actually no surprise that a true tourist related initiative would fail miserably.

21 hours ago, hanuman2543 said:

Does that mean there are on average 6 people per flight?

What a waste.

Not really a waste.

There will be Bangkok Samui Hospital staff coming down on those flights as well as cargo.

On 8/20/2021 at 7:12 AM, club said:

I wonder why? Could it be the weather?  No Could it be nobody has money?

The real reason is the need of staying in quarantine at your hotel, while in Phuket sandbox you may walk free, travel the island and go to beach.

 

So most people entering Thailand prefers Phuket sandbox.

On 8/20/2021 at 5:02 PM, hanuman2543 said:

Does that mean there are on average 6 people per flight?

What a waste.

Where do they find these people with those wonderful ideas?

In a psychiatric ward?

That's about right, I didn't count the passengers when I flew out, but there were no more than 7-8 of us. Interestingly they crammed all of us at the back of the plane, and didn't allow people to sit far from each other.  Half of the foreigners removed their masks and talked all the way to BKK.  

Quite a successful story on sandboxes, governmental interference with a business it has not the slightest clue and at the end blowing its own trumpet.

Once the treasury is emptied they will disappear into thin air as most of their predecessors. Latter though were not as professional as the present crew; in all cases it will leave those left behind to mop up the biggest mess ever instigated and that will take a very very very long time. 

Just wondering if any when the hunt for a scape goat is on again .................. 

On 8/20/2021 at 9:29 AM, Tropicalevo said:

The current government is well on its way to emptying the treasury.

The 'in the pocket' expenses will never be returned.

Wuhan flu is with us for ever. It will keep on bringing out more variants and the world have a new 'annual flu jab'.

This is not a 'one off'.

I see this current junta as being on a 'rape and pillage' war until their time is up, leaving the next junta(?) to fix the debt.

(In today's news, Thailand is expected to show a current account deficit of $10.3 billion.)

Any tourists (or others) are just a bonus in this crazy world.

You've more or less hit the nail on the head, problem is what chance has who ever takes over got? 

 

On 8/20/2021 at 3:29 AM, ukrules said:

Therein lies the problem, handling it correctly. They're inept.

If only it were true...  They're very skilled...  At milking every satang they can from the treasury. 

 

Say what you want about Thaksin, but at least he left enough to the peasants to grow the economy.  Even if he did it just so they'd vote for him.  Today, there's nobody controlling access to the trough.  It's a free for all.